->'''Q: Isn't your comic, in fact, historically ''in''accurate?'''\\A: Look, 1400 BC was a really long time ago. Our historical and archaeological records of that time are dodgy at best and laughable at worst. You'll just have to take my word that this comic is the 100% true portrayal of what really happened.\\Anyway, this comic is no less historically accurate than other serious illustrated documentaries like ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' or ''ComicBook/{{Groo|TheWanderer}}''.-->-- [[http://gastrophobia.com/about.html The FAQ page]]

'''''[[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php GastroPhobia]]''''' is a webcomic by David [=McGuire=], about the Amazonian exile and single mom Phobia; her precocious scamp of a son, Gastro; and her recently-acquired, listless slave Klepto. They have adventures in AncientGreece.

The comic is a series of short stories; while there is continuity, there's little in the way of overarching plot.

----!!''[=GastroPhobia=]'' provides examples of the following tropes:

* ActionMom: Phobia* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: At the bottom of the [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2008-09-03 2008-09-03 strip.]]-->'''Phobia:''' No feeble foe can flee from the fantastic force of the fearless phobia's fusillade!* AerithAndBob: There's Phobia, Mania, Klepto,... then there's Kelly.* AltText* AmbiguouslyBrown: The Amazonians.* AnachronismStew: Banks, dining-and-dashing, EyeBeams, and XP in AncientGreece. Also, the [[http://gastrophobia.com/pix/extras/mapofancientgreece.gif map of Greece]] [[PlayedForLaughs is actually a recolored map of Texas]].* AnimalEyes: Mania (not the dog, but [[spoiler:Krphxyzwlps' human form]]) has slitted eyes.* {{Animesque}}: Slightly.* TheAristocrats: Not the best joke to tell in front of your mother.-->'''Klepto:''' Gastro, look what you've done to your poor mother's spanking hand!* ArtShift: The chapter "[=KleptoMania=]", which is from [[OurMonstersAreWeird Krphxyzwlps]]' point of view, has all characters drawn as silhouettes with occasional facial features.* BareYourMidriff: Philia* BedsheetGhost: Aunt Pneuma* BigCreepyCrawlies: Krphxyzwlps* BiggerOnTheInside: Hydro the Healer's hut. Looks like a minuscule shack on the outside, but contains not only a large room but also a huge aquarium.* BookDumb: What the example under {{Foreshadowing}} below was implied to be at the time; Philia gives off a vibe of not being all that bright, at the best of times.* ButHeSoundsHandsome: "That sexy barbarian lady escaped! Not only is she clever, she's a powerhouse!"* ButterflyOfDoom: Filby chastises Nightsorrow for this after he confesses to sleeping with Phobia not long after they ended up in ancient Greece.-->'''Filby:''' What is ''wrong'' with you?! We travel back in time and you step on like a billion butterflies!\\'''Nightsorrow:''' I did a lot more than ''step'' on that butterfly, [[LampShadedDoubleEntendre if you know what I mean.]]* CerebusSyndrome: While the tone remains light, the comic has progressively become a lot more plot-focused, especially since the start of Season 3.* ChekhovsGunman: Krphxyzwlps herself started out as a MonsterOfTheWeek. She got a return appearance in "For Heifer in My Heart", more as a joke than anything else. Come Season 3, she's become an important character.* ClassicalMythology: Phobia is an Amazon (the Greek myth version), with storylines being based off Greek Mythology stories. Her brother Alcides is implied to be Hercules, as Alcides was Hercules' birth name. The first 12 chapters are very loosely based on the 12 Labors of Hercules.* ConspicuouslyLightPatch: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in the AltText of [[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2011-01-10 the 2011-01-10 comic.]] (In this case, it was obviously done on purpose to invoke the animated trope.)* DeliberatelyMonochrome: One color per chapter.* DeliberateValuesDissonance: On the topic of slavery. Phobia and Gastro own a slave named Klepto, but [[spoiler: later try setting him free.]] This is also PlayedForLaughs when [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2011-01-27 Helen knows that there's a problem]] with [[spoiler: Klepto getting repossessed by the government]], but doesn't know what, thinking the worst part of it is having to do your own laundry for a month.* DontMakeMeTakeMyBeltOff: Gastro receives a few spankings from his mother when he's too much of a brat.* EvilSorcerer: Lord Nightsorrow's name and general behaviour seem to aim at this trope. However, he's not very villainous and mostly wants to get back to his own era.* EyeBeams: Bambikles* FaceFault: Used straight, invoked, and ''weaponized''.* FacePalm: [[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2010-08-06 With appropriate unsound effect.]]* FanDisservice: {{Averted|Trope}} in Chapter 2:-->''Originally I planned to draw this scene with Gastro wearing a {{loin cloth}}, but I decided to spare everyone that sight.''* FlatWhat: Phobia gives one when Philia tells her that [[spoiler:she is Klepto and Phobia's daughter ''from the future'']].* FlowerInHerHair: Phobia, sometimes.* FootPopping: Phobia while kissing Hydro in the [[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2013-10-16 "four kinds of love"]] panel.* {{Foreshadowing}}:-->'''Phobia:''' Philia, how do you stay so young-looking?\\'''Philia: Well, ''GEE'', maybe it's because I'm 22!'''\\'''Phobia:''' Eight years ago, you told me you were 20...?\\'''Philia: Then I'm 28, SHEESH! Why is this so HARD for you?!'''* {{Gasp}}: Rather frequent, and usually quite exaggerated. For example, [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-02-20 a threefer when the Mockinbirds' source of power gets destroyed.]]* GenericGraffiti: Only visible in a [[http://gastrophobia.tumblr.com/post/74167701158/heres-a-close-up-of-todays-update-so-you-can-see close-up of a panel]] provided by the artist. Is actually more [[http://www.pompeiana.org/resources/ancient/graffiti%20from%20pompeii.htm historically accurate]] than it seems--ignoring the Simpsons reference.* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Again, Krphxyzwlps.* GoshDangItToHeck: Well, initially.* GreenRocks: What Chronologium amounts to. Beyond allowing time travel, eating a block of the stuff 10 years ago gave Krphxyzwlps her shapeshifting power.* HartmanHips: Phobia. Don't mock the size of her legs, though...* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Invoked -- "To ''kill'' a monster, you must ''become'' a monster."* HonestAxe: Referenced when Mim retrieves Phobia's sword from the lake.* HumanSacrifice: Gastro narrowly escape from this at the paws of the cultist bears.* HypocriticalHumor:** Philia is good for this:--->'''Philia: [++DON'T YELL OR YOU'LL CAUSE A ''CAVE-IN!!''++]'''** In the "Ready, Willing, and a Bull" story, Phobia and Gastro try to get to Klepto to steal from the Minotaur in an attempt to distract it after learning he's a pretty good thief and this conversation occurs:--->'''Gastro:''' Um, Klepto can steal that pendant on his neck?\\'''Klepto:''' Nuh-Uh. [[AgainstMyReligion That's against my code]]. I come from a long line of noble thieves who only steal for personal gain.\\'''Gastro:''' [[LampshadeHanging That doesn't sound very noble to me]].\\'''Klepto:''' Nobility has many faces.* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim: Inverted; [[spoiler:it ends up saving Phobia's life]].* ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder: Phobia angrily states [[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2010-05-22 "I'm a warrior, not a scholar!"]] when called on the fact that she's illiterate.* ImpossibleHourglassFigure: Phobia. [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-08-31 Lampshaded here]], but ultimately averted. Although while her hips are rather big, her chest is more realistically portioned.* InfiniteCanvas: Commented on and averted in a strip where Phobia falls down a hole.* KickTheDog: That's how you know that Hydro the Healer is a [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2013-04-11 "bad dude".]] * KidFromTheFuture: [[spoiler:Philia]] claims to be the child of Phobia and Klepto from the future.* LampshadeHanging: [[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2011-04-01 "Check it out, those guys are fortuitously discussing subject matter pertinent to our current task."]]* LethalChef: Phobia. She's apparently managed to keep herself and Gastro from dying for the last seven years, but Gastro has no idea that the squirrel his mother is using is out of place, and the best the judges can say for Phobia's dish is that she was "[[DamnedByFaintPraise generous with the salt]]". * LowerDeckEpisode: The appropriately-named chapter "Not Everything's About Phobia".* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:Phobia, Philia is your daughter.]]* MamaBear: Seen [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-09-28 toward the end of the Nightsorrow arc.]]* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: Phobia is an aggressive ActionGirl hunter who loves meat so much she considers any food without it to be utter crap. Klepto is a NonActionGuy and an experienced cook whose meals usually don't contain much meat. [[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2010-11-17 When they're out drinking]], she and Philia make fun of him for choosing a drink as girly as Beijing Peach.* MasculineLinesFeminineCurves: Accentuated in the "[[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2011-05-19 How to draw]] ''[[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2011-05-20 GastroPhobia]]''" [[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2011-05-24 filler strips]].* MeaningfulName:** The thieving slave is named Klepto.** The ghost Pneuma's name means "spirit" in Greek.** The healer Hydro keeps a huge aquarium in his shack and wanted to turn Phobia into a mermaid for some reason.* NeverMyFault: Played for laughs. Nightsorrow always blames Phobia for anything that goes wrong and involves her even if it was entirely his fault, saying that she betrayed him.* NoIndoorVoice: Philia. '''[+++"I ''AM'' WHISPERING!"+++]''' [[labelnote:*]][[CaptainObvious not whispering at all]][[/labelnote]]* NotSoDifferent: Parodied; Pneuma tries to invoke this, but can't think of any ways that she and Phobia are alike.* OhMyGods: The names of Greek gods are often said in vain. Hell, even the trope name is said in [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2008-10-24 one strip.]]* OohMeAccentsSlipping: The Mockingbird princess' Southern US accent comes and goes.* OrwellianRetcon: Parts of Chapter 9 were redone because the author was unsatisfied with them. This included renaming the substance that allows time travel from "Samsonite" to "Chronologium".* OtherMeAnnoysMe: When Philia and [[spoiler:Philia from an alternate timeline (started by Lord Nightsorrow's manipulation)]] meet each other, [[SarcasmMode they immediately hit off pretty well]].-->'''Philia: ''WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME EARLIER AND SAVE ME SOME STRESS YOU STUPID BITCH?'''''\\[[spoiler:'''Philia-from-the-Future:''']] (''thoughts'') ''Gods'' I hate myself.* OurHeroIsDead: She got better.* OurMonstersAreWeird: Krphxyzwlps, a giant sapient centipede with the ability to shapeshift into anything with the same body mass, including several separate creatures.* ParadoxPerson: [[spoiler: Philia]] is worried about being this.* PleasePutSomeClothesOn: Phobia to Mania, while covering her with a tablecloth, after the later shapeshifted from a deer to a naked human.* PrecisionFStrike: Implied by a [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2011-11-23 "censored"]] bubble.* ProudWarriorRaceGirl: Phobia, naturally. "A warrior does '''not''' wash dishes."* {{Pun}}s: Many of the chapter titles.* PurpleEyes: An Amazonian racial trait.* ReallyGetsAround: Phobia claims that she doesn't know who Gastro's real father is [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2010-10-15 because there's too many candidates.]]* RedOniBlueOni:** Phobia and Gastro.** Sometimes also Phobia and Klepto, when he behaves less obtusely.* ReusedCharacterDesign: Amusingly, the Sphinx is apparently played by an "actress", namely Saphire from ''Manga/PrincessKnight''.* RiddleOfTheSphinx: Parodied. Multiple times.* RiddlingSphinx: A sphinx is repeatedly humiliated because she only knows [[RiddleOfTheSphinx the one riddle]], and [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-03-09 everyone]], even [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-03-06 the little kid]], knows the answer already.* SarcasmBlind: Klepto, [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-01-23 sometimes.]]* SdrawkcabName: The god of the [[Franchise/CareBears cultist bears]] is "Tolaerac".* SecurityCling: Though she'd probably deny it, [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-01-14 Phobia did jump into Klepto's arms]] when startled by Princess Mim metamorphosing.* SelfServingMemory: Nightsorrow remembers meeting Phobia by [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-09-11 saving her from a frog monster]]. While she says she's the one who saved him.* ServileSnarker: Klepto, with far more emphasis on the "snark" than the "serve".%%* ShaggyDogStory* ShapedLikeItself: "Trivial Trivia!"* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: [[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2010-01-15 Seen between]] [[ShipTease Phobia and Klepto]].* ShipTease: Phobia and Klepto get a [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-06-03 subtle]] [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-06-05 one]] in the main storyline. It's telling that they always seem to hit it off [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-10-29 in the AU]] [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2010-10-01 stories]]. Eventually, the comic stops teasing and says outright that [[spoiler:they've been dating for months]] and that's why [[spoiler:Phobia wants to set him free.]]* ShoutOut:** Some character designs -- female ones more often -- resemble those of ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'' quite a bit.** The artwork contains numerous nods to Creator/OsamuTezuka. Trivia's character design resembles Saphire, Ornitho ''is'' Duke Red, the Bambikles story has several panel layouts that reference the original ''Manga/KimbaTheWhiteLion'' manga and the Dine & Dash story has a gang of bank robbers who combine into a giant centipede, similar to Gadem from ''Manga/AstroBoy''.** [[Franchise/WinnieThePooh Eeyore]] takes a beating from a minotaur.** [[ComicStrip/{{Popeye}} Bluto]] [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-10-22 makes a cameo]], followed [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-11-11 a few pages later]] by "the cow from ''WesternAnimation/SteamboatWillie''".** The entire Bambikles arc is a direct parody of ''[[Anime/ChirinNoSuzu The Ringing Bell]]''.** The owl in the Bambikles arc looks like Bubo from the original ''Film/ClashOfTheTitans'', and is named Archimedes after the owl in Disney's ''Disney/TheSwordInTheStone''.** [[Webcomic/HarkAVagrant Katie Beaton's Fat Pony]] makes [[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-06-12 a cameo in the background]].** Nightsorrow's "Wizard's Tower" is Gargamel's house from ''Franchise/TheSmurfs''.** "[[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2011-12-01 Horsefield]]" parodies the ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' strips.** The "Unbearable" storyline puts up [[Franchise/CareBears cultist bears]] against [[Franchise/MyLittlePony talking ponies]].** A more specific shout-out to ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' with Gastro writing a letter to "Dear Princess Starbutt".** In a lot of the short, pun-based comics, the pun-naming style and flip-take pattern are a shout-out to ''Franchise/ArchieComics'' (confirmed in the AltText).* ShownTheirWork: Despite the comic being a massive AnachronismStew, the artist clearly knows a lot about AncientGreece. An example is the filler strip [[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2013-10-16 "Trivial Trivia!"]], which explains the philosophical concept of the four types of love.** In the Season 2 intro, Phobia is told by Hyppolyta to [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2010-03-12 give baby!Gastro to the Gargareans if not to the father.]] The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gargareans Gargareans]] were a male tribe in greek mythology that had worked out a deal with the Amazonians to keep all the male babies, while the Amazonians raised their female babies in return. * SlippedTheRopes: Well, the handcuffes: [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-01-28 Phobia in the Mockinbirds dungeon.]]* SpeechBubblesInterruption: [[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-06-15 Gastro to Phobia:]]-->'''Phobia:''' A warrior does not recite po--\\'''Gastro:''' We accept!* SplashOfColor: The page where Phobia meets again with her brother Alcides is in black and white, save for [[spoiler:the blood covering Alcides/Herakles]].* SpoilerOpening: Appropriately, the "Opening Credits" show Mania a few episodes early.* StalkerWithACrush: Nightsorrow to Phobia. "[[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2010-08-06 But have you seen her ass?]]"* StupidestThingIveEverHeard: [[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-06-12 "None shall pass, for this bridge leads to the Magical Land of the Pretty Ponies."]]* TakeOffYourClothes: In the [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-08-31 2009-08-31 strip]], Filby asks Phobia to take off her belt. She doesn't take it well.* TellMeAboutMyFather: Parodied, with Phobia telling Gastro she was seduced by Zeus in the form of an animal, and the specific animal changes every time she tells the story. The "Handsome Giraffe" probably being the highlight.[[note]]And yes, there's RuleThirtyFour on this. You're welcome.[[/note]] Later, she claims that she doesn't know who Gastro's father is... and even later, she accidentally lets it slip that she actually does know. [[spoiler:It's Lord Nightsorrow.]] Gastro's not happy to find out he's been lied to all these years.* ThemeNaming: Many of the names come from prefixes/suffixes of Greek origin.* TimePolice: [[spoiler:Philia]]. First foreshadowed on [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2010-08-04 two]] [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2010-08-06 pages]], then shown in the [[LooseCanon dubiously canonical]] "badder comics" interlude, before finally showing up in the comic proper.* TitleDrop: Happens twice in "Not Everything's About Phobia", with {{Lampshade|Hanging}}s in the AltText.* TooKinkyToTorture: Klepto-->'''Phobia:''' You know, some people whip their slaves for less than that.\\'''Klepto:''' Phobia, it has been my goal to be whipped by an Amazon since I was thirteen.* TitleSequence: You heard right. There are ''title sequences'' for a webcomic. One for every season.-->''[[ThemeTune Apparently, I've worn out my stay\\ But I don't care what other people say\\ Everything's gonna be a-okay!\\ It's a brand new day, and there are monsters to slay\\ So get outta my way, or you're gonna pay!\\ Do whatever you may, but there ain't no time to play\\ Everything's gonna be a-okay]]!''* TranquilFury: -->'''Phobia:''' (''smiling'') And if you ever endanger my son again, I'll have to cut out one of your kidneys and force-feed it to you.* TranslationConvention: Lampshaded for a punchline in the [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2010-08-11 2010-08-11 strip]].* UndeadAuthor: Played gleefully straight in [[spoiler:"The Hole Story".]]* TheUnpronounceable: Krphxyzwlps. [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2013-08-21 A whole comic is solely about Phobia's efforts to pronounce it.]]-->'''Phobia: ''[[WheelOfFortune Buy some vowels!]]''''':: The about page now adresses this. It says it's pronounced as Ker-fixy-whelps. The z is silent. * UnsoundEffect: "[[http://www.gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2013-10-16 Make-out sounds!]]"* VerySpecialEpisode: Parodied in [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2009-04-20 a filler strip]].* VoluntaryShapeshifting:** The Mockingbirds.** Krphxyzwlps, who can shapeshift into several separate creatures as long as they add up to her body mass.* WritingForTheTrade: The cartoonist admitted as such.